North Carolina, New Mexico To 'Fly' On STS-122

NASA will honor New Mexico and North Carolina at the upcoming launch of space shuttle Atlantis on the STS-122 mission, currently targeted for December 6 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The seven-member crew of Atlantis will deliver the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory to the International Space Station, significantly increasing the research capability in orbit.

During the past year and a half, solar arrays and a connecting module have been added to provide power and a pathway for Columbus and other modules to be attached to the station.

Both states are members of the space grant consortium, a coalition between NASA and state colleges, universities and other institutions representing diverse aerospace education and research activities.

In fiscal year 2007, New Mexico and North Carolina each received $590,000 for their respective state colleges, to develop aerospace-related and high technology educational and research efforts.

Both states are also home to former NASA astronauts. New Mexico is home to Sidney Gutierrez and Harrison Schmitt.

North Carolina is home to nine former NASA astronauts, as well as current astronauts William McArthur and Dominic Antonelli. Antonelli is scheduled to fly in 2008 aboard space shuttle Discovery on the STS-119 mission.

NASA is honoring all 50 states during the remaining flights of the space shuttle, which will be retired in 2010.

FMI: www.ksc.nasa.gov